Retford: Man, 25, punched doorman outside Yates’s

Christopher Lodge, 25, of Moorgate, Retford, pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault and using threatening language at Worksop Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 21st August.

The court heard that a door supervisor at Yates’s, Alan Murphy, was on duty in the evening of 21st June 2014 when he saw that a fight had taken place.

The court was shown CCTV footage of a fight breaking out inside the bar between Lodge and another male.

The altercation soon came to an end but the aftermath carried on until around 8.30pm.

Murphy tried to escort Lodge out of the premises and a scuffle erupted, which included Lodge being thrown to the floor on at least two occasions.

The incident caught the attention of other drinkers in the pub as Murphy and Lodge argued in the entrance to the bar.

The footage then showed Lodge and Murphy outside on the street and Lodge then punched the bouncer in the face as other people came rushing out of the pub - which included one male carrying a chair above his head.

Prosecuting, Ruth Snowdin, said: “Mr Murphy told police that the incident was entirely unprovoked. He said he had pain in his left hand and in his right ankle.”

In mitigation, David Verity, said: “The CCTV shows Mr Lodge being thrown to the floor by the staff. This was all after an altercation with another man. He threw a punch at that male but it was more of a glancing blow. He knows that is it a serious incident at a licence premises in the town centre.”

“He said that he had drunk far too much, more than he normally would and since then he has tried to curtail his drinking.”

“The doorman also suffered no visible injuries.”

The magistrates sentenced Lodge to a 12-month community order, 120 hours unpaid work, ordered to pay £50 compensation, £85 costs and £65 victim surcharge.